Maria - Blondie Instant

On February 7, 1999, made a triumphant return to the top of the charts with "Maria," their first single after a 17-year hiatus. Released as the lead single from their seventh studio album, No Exit , the track became their sixth number-one hit in the UK—exactly 20 years after their first, "Heart of Glass". The Story Behind the Song

Destri penned the lyrics based on his fantasies while attending Catholic school, describing a feeling of "sexual repression causing incredible desire". Maria - Blondie

The lyric "like a millionaire / walking on imported air" was actually recycled from an earlier Blondie track, "Walk Like Me," from their 1980 album Autoamerican . Chart-Breaking Success On February 7, 1999, made a triumphant return

Directed by , the music video features the band performing in an apartment while mysterious figures set up surveillance equipment outside. In a surreal climax, a bullet is fired through a window toward Debbie Harry, who calmly plucks it from the air. Musically, the track returned the band to their new wave roots, blending "street-smart" rock with a pop intelligence that defined their trademark sound. The lyric "like a millionaire / walking on